EUGENE -- Running back Kenjon Barner, who hadn't practiced much if at all this week with what has been variously described as a groin or hip injury, returned without apparent restriction on Thursday.

Barner, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound sophomore, is 15th nationally in all-purpose yards despite missing most of last week's game with Portland State after being injured.

Certainly, the fifth-ranked Ducks (3-0) would love to have him at full speed for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. game at Arizona State (2-1).

"I'll talk to the trainers tomorrow and find out where everybody is," UO coach Chip Kelly said. "They'll go back in and get treatment. How do they respond after practicing today? Does anything happen? We're still a ways away from the game. We're not playing until Saturday night. But it was good to see him run around. It was good to see a lot guys run around. Almost everybody was back."

Offensive lineman Darrion Weems (back), slash guy Daryle Hawkins (knee) and tight end Brandon Williams (hand) were at practice, but I didn't see them do much.

Other players who had been gimpy earlier in the week -- offensive lineman Nick Cody, linebacker Bryson Littlejohn, linebacker Spencer Paysinger and tight end David Paulson -- all looked fine.

Kelly said he will survey the situation tomorrow and see if any of the walking wounded aggravated previous injuries by practicing Thursday.

"We won't finalize anything until tomorrow," he said.

The Ducks worked out in Autzen Stadium Thursday in cool, occasionally drizzly conditions. Most of the UO players didn't wear pads, but some of the defensive scout players wore oversized chest protectors underneath their jerseys.

Kelly said that he and members of the UO coaching staff designed the pads in conjunction with Gilman Gear, a company that makes football equipment. The pads arrived this week. It was the first time has Oregon used them.

"I want to practice on Thursday and really work on our hand placement," Kelly said, referring to offensive blocking techniques. "It's tough when you don't have pads on."

In the past, Kelly said, the scouts had used hand-held pads or jury-rigged chest protectors held together by tape and belts.

"We mentioned it to the Gilman people and they said they could build something like that," Kelly said.